1934 FA Cup Final: Man City vs Portsmouth

Man City 2 - 1 Portsmouth

• Man City
  • Tilson 74'
  • Tilson 88'
• Portsmouth
  • Rutherford 28'

Wembley - Saturday 28th April

Attendance: 93,258

Match Referee: S F Rous

Team Line-ups:

City's central plan of attack, designed to outwit the 'stopper' centre‑half, was based on the rapid switching and interchanging of positions by their forward‑line. It had worked like a dream against Villa in the semi‑final, and City had put six goals past their bemused defence, yet, when it came to the Final against Portsmouth, for a long time the plan simply wouldn't work.

The weather was nothing if not dramatic, with thunder and lightning playing around the stadium, and, fittingly, there were moments of drama on the field as well, as Portsmouth took a lead in the first half which they were to Jose only very late in the second. Rutherford's cross‑shot from the wing looked innocuous enough, but suddenly it spun away from Frank Swift in goal and veered into the net.

During the interval Tilson, City's centre‑forward, promised the downcast Swift, then only nineteen and feeling that he ought to have saved the goal, that he would knock in a couple of goals in the second half and win the match for City. He was as good as his word.

Portsmouth led until the seventy‑third minute. Then suddenly Alien, Portsmouth's tall centre‑half, went down injured after an aerial collision with Cowan, and had to be carried to the touch‑line. City, and left‑winger Brook in particular, immediately realized that here was their chance.

It was Brook, a player with the gift of turning up at the right time in the most unlikely places, either to make goals or score them, who laid on City's equalizer. Stealing across the field from the left to the right wing, Brook received the ball from Busby's throw‑in near the half‑way line and set off on a controlled dribble. City's attacking plan was very much in evidence as the forwards ran towards the goal en bloc, switching positions at top speed. Brook's flick found Tilson in the inside‑left channel, and he had time to pick his spot and shoot left‑footed past Gilfillan into the far corner.

Three minutes from time Tilson fulfilled his dressing‑room promise to score a second and winning goal with another unerring shot from his left foot. This time Herd's accurate cross‑pass had created the chance.

The nervous tension of the last few minutes had been too much for the young Swift. At the final whistle he stooped into the net for his cap and gloves, and seconds later was lying flat‑out on the ground. He had fainted.

The King Presents Sam Cowan the Manchester City Captain with the Cup

Bolton Wand v PORTSMOUTH 0‑3; PNE v Leicester C 0‑1; Arsenal v Aston Villa 1‑2; MAN C v Stoke C 1 ‑0

Swansea T v PORTSMOUTH 0‑1; Liverpool v Bolton Wand 0‑3; PNE v Northampton T 4‑0; Birmingham v Leicester C 1‑2; Spurs v Aston Villa 0‑1; Arsenal v Derby Co 1‑0; Stoke C v Chelsea 3‑1, Sheff Wed v MAN C 2‑2,0‑2

PORTSMOUTH v Grimsby T 2‑0; Bury v Swansea T 1‑1, 0‑2; Liverpool v Tranmere R 3‑1;Brighton & H Alb v Bolton Wand 1‑1, 1‑15; Workington v PNE 1‑2; Huddersfield T v Northampton T 0‑2; Birmingham v Chariton Ath 1 ‑0; Millwall v Leicester C 3‑6; Aston Villa v Sunderland 7‑2; Spurs v W. Ham 4‑1; Derby Co v Wolves 3‑0; Arsenal v Crystal Palace 7‑0; Stoke C v Blackpool 3‑0; Chelsea v Nott'm Forest 1‑1, 3‑0; Oldham Ath v Sheff Wed 1‑1, 1‑6; Hull C v MAN C 2‑2,1‑4

Man Utd v PORTSMOUTH 1‑1, 1‑4; Grimsby T v Clapton Orient 1‑0 Burnley v Bury 0‑0, 2‑2; Swansea T v Notts Co 1 ‑0; Liverpool v Fulham 1‑1, 3‑2; Tranmere R v Southend Utd 3‑0; Brighton & H Alb v Swindon T 3‑1; Bolton Wand v Halifax T 3‑1, Leeds Utd v PNE 0‑1; Workington v Gateshead 4‑1; Southampton v Northampton T 1 ‑1, 0‑1; Plymouth Arg v Huddersfield T 1‑1, 2‑1; Birmingham v Sheff Utd 2‑1, Chariton Ath v Port Vale 2‑0, Millwall v Accrington S 3‑0; Leicester C v Lincoln C 3‑0; Chesterfield v Aston Villa 2‑2, 0‑2; Sunderland v Middlesbro 1‑1, 2‑1; W. Ham v Bradford C 3‑2; Spurs v Everton 3‑0; Bristol C v Derby Co 1 ‑1, 0‑1; Wolves v Newcastle Utd 1 ‑0; Crystal Palace vAldershot 1 ‑0, Luton T v Arsenal 0‑1; Stoke C v Bradford PA 3‑0; Cheltenham Tv Blackpool 1‑2; Nott'm Forest v QPR 4‑0; Chelsea v WBA 1 ‑1, 1 ‑0; Rotherham Utd v Sheff Wed 0‑3; Reading v Oldham Ath 1‑2; Hull C v Brentford 1-0; MAN C v Blackburn R 3‑1